Ze Tian Ji (Way of Choices)
chapter-13

“If my observations aren’t wrong, you should be….. an ordinary person!”

“Yes, I haven’t officially started cultivating.”

“The Grand Examination’s …… first place?”

“Yes, I can only get first place.”

Tang Thirty Six’s question was straight forward and sharp, but Chen Chang Sheng’s answer was serious and calm. It was like describing an extremely basic thing. Like how people should eat both meat and vegetables to keep balance within their body, don’t eat things that are too salty or oily, and should sleep early and wake up early. They would have a healthy body this way – Life was eat, drink, digest, and sleep. It’s not wrong. This attitude of viewing something formal as everyday life is nice – but the problem is, getting first place in the Grand Examination is not your ordinary everyday life.

Since he could only get first place, then he will get first place. This statement seemed logical and understandable, but it didn’t make any sense. Just like how a weak child could say he wants to pull out a whisker of the most powerful Golden Dragon and use it as a sword. It’s a nice fairytale, but if someone actually said that in real life, it would only be regarded as sleeptalking.

That person would be treated as mentally retarded or an idiot. Of course, he may also be a genius like no other.

There is a fine line between a genius and an idiot and that line is probability itself.

Then which side should a person like Chen Chang Sheng, who disregarded the line and believed in himself no matter what, be placed?

Tang Thirty Six is prideful and narcissistic, but today, he found a person who seemed as if he should be calm or perhaps stiff, innocent or perhaps naive, that made him feel an ultimate annihilation in the field of pride and narcissism. – Speaking logically, foolish words from an idiot can’t move a true genius like him, but the problem was – when Chen Chang Sheng said a silly thing like this with his sincere and determined eyes, Tang Thirty Six couldn’t rebuke or mock him. In the depths of his heart, he felt that the possibility of the impossible actually happening, might truly exist!

Why was this? He has never met a person like Chen Chang Sheng before. – He did things correctly in a correct way, therefore he was bold and he is righteous. – Therefore you can’t find a way to reply to his comment. This wordless feeling, that’s why Tang Thirty Six didn’t reply and held his speech to himself. If Tang Thirty Six knew that Chen Chang Sheng left Madam Xu, the middle aged woman, and that maid Shuang Er at the Divine General’s Estate, wordless as well, then he would feel comfort and become sympathetic towards them.

After finishing the tea and almost eating the tea leaves in the cup, Tang Thirty Six finally woke up from the previous shock. He looked at Cheng Chang Sheng, whose expression didn’t change in the slightest, as if he hadn’t said the previous sentence. Tang couldn’t help but shake his head and think to himself ‘This guy seems more interesting than I had thought.”

“There is not even a year of time left ….. although I respect your desire, speaking logically, I really can’t give you any words of blessing because that would make me seem fake. I only want to warn you, the Divine General’s Estate won’t easily give up.”

Tang Thirty Six didn’t know what grudge was between Chen Chang Sheng and the Divine General’s Estate, but he thought that the Capital was under the Divine Empress’ rule. If the Divine General’s Estate used some down low tactics to interrupt Chen Chang Sheng’s future, they wouldn’t do anything that was way out of hand.

Chen Chang Sheng was silent for a while and then spoke, “I will try to avoid them.”

Tang Thirty Six asked, “But are you able to? Even Star Taker didn’t accept you.”

Chen Cheng Sheng answered, “This is the thing I didn’t understand.”

Tang Thirty Six said “The Divine General’s Estate can’t affect Star Taker Academy, Xu Shi Ji has no ability to do that. I heard….. someone at the Palace spoke, that’s why I’m really curious about your problem with the Divine General’s Estate. What is the secret that even managed to drag the Palace into this matter?”

Now Chen Chang Sheng knew the reason why Star Taker Academy didn’t accept him. He felt shocked and was left speechless. After returning to his senses, he felt much better – The Star Taker Academy that he respected so much was facing an invincible force.That’s why they did some disrespectful actions.

The next question was, why was there the invincible force?

Let’s not speak of the faraway and mysterious West Continent. There were many preeminent places on the Central Continent that ordinary citizens cannot approach. For example, the big factions in the south, the Snow City in the north….. but since Zhou Dynasty lead the humans to victory in the war against Demon race, the Zhou Empire’s Imperial Palace became the most invincible power.

Rumors said that there were countless cultivators guarding the palace. Other rumors said that there was an old eunuch that was at the Star Fusion realm. Some rumors even said that there was a loyal and powerful giant dragon!

In his fourteen years of life, Chen Chang Sheng had read many things about the Imperial Palace through literature, but he never thought that he would have relationship with this powerful, fearful, and far reaching place. Thinking about the words Tang Thirty Six said, he was wordless, he didn’t understand.

“There are countless dogs serving the Divine Empress, Xu Shi Ji is a relatively scary one. But even he had no way to move the people in the Imperial Palace to put pressure on Star Taker Academy. Even if he could, he wouldn’t have needed to use so much of his resources. Then, something he didn’t need to use too many resources on, but the people at the palace would be willing to do voluntarily…..”

Speaking up to this point, Tang Thirty Six’s clouded mind suddenly became clear. Looking at the young face of Chen Chang Sheng, his thoughts were a little messy – Did this guy who didn’t even know how to treat a guest, really……have a connection with the Phoenix?

He was on the verge of asking Chen Chang Sheng what was going on. But today he had learnt of Chen Chang Sheng’s temperament. Since he was unwilling to speak, then no matter what happens he wouldn’t say anything. At last, Tang Thirty Six said, “…….The most important figure at the Divine General’s Estate has always been her. You have to know this.”

After saying this sentence, he looked at Chen Chang Sheng’s eyes for a long time.

Cheng Chang Sheng was silent for a long time and suddenly he asked, “What kind of person is…….She?”

Tang Thirty Six’s expression didn’t change, but a tsunami rose in his heart. From this sentence of Chen Chang Sheng’s and the slight change in his expression when he said the words, Tang Thirty Six knew that there was trouble between him and that Phoenix. But he still didn’t know what kind of problem it was.

“It’s hard to describe her as a person. There is nothing special with her personality in rumors or from other people’s descriptions.”

Said Tang Thirty Six, realizing that it was hard to explain. Then he saw Chen Chang Sheng’s eyes and suddenly realized something.

“She…..is very similar to you.”

“She is also a person that makes others speechless.”

“Of course, the reason for you making others wordless is that your attitude is too calm and your words are too direct. People feel so melancholic after hearing you speak that they want to cough blood….. rumors say she doesn’t talk much and doesn’t appear in front of others often either. But she is similar to you, she also makes people cough blood.”

Chen Chang Sheng was confused.

“She doesn’t need to speak, she doesn’t need to mock, she doesn’t need to look down on others….. She just needs to exist. She just needs to stand there and it is enough for people to beome melancholic and cough blood. I will speak the truly, those people include me. She had the bloodline of the Sky Phoenix and awakened herself when she was very little. Her way of cultivation was smooth and she is intelligent. Despite her talent, her effort is also top notch as well. Everything about her is of the best….. don’t you think people like that are out of hand? Even a genius like me feels hopeless in front her. A person like this, that leaves others speechless is truly hateful.”

Tang Thirty Six looked at him and said, “Both of you are friends that leave others speechless. But your ways are completely different. She is truly….special. Many people think that perhaps only Qiu Shan Jun can face this kind of girl and be calm?

After finishing his sentence and seeing that Chen Chang Sheng didn’t say anything. He then said his good bye and left the tavern.

After the blue shirted youngster left, Chen Chang Sheng cleaned the table until there was no dust left upon it. He didn’t go wash himself or read a book, which was rare. He walked to the center of the yard and moved a bamboo chair under a tree. He looked at the beautiful stars in the sky through the scattered leaves and flowers. There was no expression on his face.

He had heard the names of Xu You Rong and Qiu Shang Jun once again. Although his expression didn’t change, his mood did. Putting everything aside, he was still a teenager. Although he dislike the sour feeling, it had risen from within his heart twice since he arrived at the Capital.

He was angry that he failed to be accepted by the academies four times due to the Diving General’s Estate. The Imperial Palace sent people to pressure Star Taker Academy, not for the Divine General but for her, which made him angrier. With the anger on top of the sour feeling, he realized that he disliked that girl named Xu You Rong more and more.

When he was little and lived in the temple, he said to his senior that he may hate people, but he wouldn’t dislike them.

But now he started to dislike that young girl.

Yes, even if she was the genius. The Sky Phoenix that left all the geniuses from different factions speechless, in Chen Chang Sheng’s mind she was still a little girl.

He remembered very clearly, she was born on the eleventh of November and that she was younger than him by three days.

Even if she was younger than him by one day she was little, let alone three days.

He really disliked that woman named Xu You Rong.

Chen Chang Sheng’s mood became worse and worse. He thought to himself ‘Why did master arrange such a marriage for him?’ He got off the chair and took out a scroll made of bamboo from his belt and put it into the deepest box in his luggage. Then he started to wash his face and hands. After washing himself clean, his mood got much better.

There was a marriage vow in that box. He had received the little thing made out of bamboo from the capital when he was eleven years old. He remembered the white crane that had delivered the message along with the vow. He remembered the words in the letter and he remembered, after that day, the white crane never came again.

—————————–

Tonight.

A white crane landed on top of Holy Maiden Peak in the south.

Under a sky full of stars, a young girl sat next to the cliff.